The present invention is directed to a device suitable for use by medical, paramedical and law enforcement personnel for restraining a prisoner or other person to be detained in a position which does not compromise respiratory function.
It is desirable to safely restrain persons in custody as quickly as possibly to reduce both the potential for harm to the person to be restrained as well as to the arresting officer or medical personnel. For example, handcuffs have been used to restrain hand and arm movements of the person. Other means of restraining arm movements have been employed such as devices to wrap the torso of the person. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,047,457; 3,399,670; 4,728,553; 4,852,587; and 5,031,639 disclose various devices which have been employed to provide the desired restraint.
However, in particularly violent circumstances, the fact that the legs of the person remained unrestrained frequently results in kicking, an increased escape risk and the need to use more force than desirable to subdue the person. This occasionally results in instances of alleged police brutality and in-custody deaths due, for example, to respiratory failure. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,004,583; 4,173,974; 4,237,708; 5,387,185; 5,400,623; and 5,469,813 disclose various means to immobilize leg movement.
It is accordingly desirable to provide a device which will enable a potentially violent person to be restrained relatively quickly while minimizing the ability of the restrained person to cause further harm either to himself or to others.